Recommended Cruising Guides for the Florida Keys

[wabislander]

Looking for recommendations from those of you with experience from south Florida to Key west. Trailering to put in location so have flexibility in starting location but will need to find location that will hold truck and trailer during cruise. Thanks in advance.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Waterway Guides that cover Florida, Skipper Bobs, Active Captain are a few that come to mind. We’ve cruised the Keys a lot and have a great deal on our blog. Simply click on the attached link and put Florida Keys in the search to read and see photos of our Keys stops over the years.

[* https://trailertrawlerlife.com/trailer- ... obile-menu]

Jim F

 

[Bobby P.]

We've found the Navionics app very useful on an ipad and iphone. The auto-routing helps through some tight areas when in the gulf and it is integrated with Active Captain, which crow sources anchorages and give pretty good feedback.

You might want to have a look at this thread for launching and storing.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16697

Best,
Bobby

 

[Bobby P.]

We also have Maptech Embasy Cruising Guide for Florida, 8th (newest edition). This is a great hardcopy companion to all of our electronic charting resources. Allows you to search around, make notes, use stickies, etc., etc.,
Bobby

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

If you're looking for a hardcopy, we used the Waterway Guide for our trip last winter.

https://www.amazon.com/Waterway-Gui...rn+2021&qid=1614268810&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-20

Honesty, you'll get tons more info online via local FB groups, simple google searches, etc. We still try to take a hardcopy version of the Waterway guide when heading to new places and hang on to the old ones.

 

[wabislander]

Thanks for the feedback.

Does anyone know what type of internet coverage I could expect with Verizon in heading down the keys?

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I don’t remember any gaps in coverage on our trips with Verizon.

 

[Bobby P.]

Verizon coverage was pretty good throughout. Gulf side into everglades gets sketchy...

 

[knotflying]

Looking for recommendations from those of you with experience from south Florida to Key west. Trailering to put in location so have flexibility in starting location but will need to find location that will hold truck and trailer during cruise. Thanks in advance.

Waterway guide is good, but active captain, now Garmin owned, will give you practically any place to launch, marinas and anchorages. When finding a launch ramp I check out google maps satellite images to look at the ramp, docks etc. Then I start to look at marinas in the area to check out storage etc. Many times, once I have chosen a potential location, I will post on Tugnuts and ask if anyone has stored their boat nearby. Also check out storage facilities in the area. Many of them provide outside storage. On longer trips I look for storage at my destination and do the shuffle prior to my trip. Launch at start point, get supplies, rent car and drive trailer and truck to destination with wife following in rental and then return in car. Logistics and towing always takes a bit of time, but it eventually works out. It is all part of the adventure.

 

[serpa4]

I don’t remember any gaps in coverage on our trips with Verizon.

Heck, I had Verizon floating off Boca Key on a mooring ball at 13 miles PAST Key West.

 

[knotflying]

Coverage with Verizon is pretty good all over. However if going down the west side you will loose coverage after Everglades city until about five miles from Marathon. You may get spotty signals near Flaming while passing.

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

Coverage with Verizon is pretty good all over. However if going down the west side you will loose coverage after Everglades city until about five miles from Marathon. You may get spotty signals near Flaming while passing.

Agree. I experienced that when transiting from Marathon to Everglades City via Little Shark River last year. No coverage about an hour out of Marathon until about 2 hours out of Everglades City. Reminds you why you want to have a good working VHF radio.